Oremus for Wednesday, February 24, 2021

*“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven*,” Meister des Perikopenbuches Heinrichs II, 11c

Antiphon¹

Ant. Make vows unto the Lord your God, and accomplish them, *
all you who gather around him to present offerings;
to the awesome God who takes away the life of princes;
he is greatly feared by all the kings of the earth.
V. God is renowned in Judah; *
in Israel his name is great.
His tent is set in Salem, *
and his dwelling place in Sion.
It was there he broke the flaming arrows, *
the shield, the sword, the armor. Psalm 76

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires, known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: https://tinyurl.com/ufxekitx

God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

HYMN: Rosamond Herklots ©
Tune: Detroit https://tinyurl.com/u6hctqpm

1 “Forgive our sins as we forgive,”
You taught us, Lord, to pray;
But you alone can grant us grace
To live the words we say.

2 How can your pardon reach and bless
The unforgiving heart
That broods on wrongs and will not let
Old bitterness depart?

3 In blazing light your cross reveals
The truth we dimly knew:
What trivial debts are owed to us,
How great our debt to you!

4 Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls
And bid resentment cease.
Then, by your mercy reconciled,
Our lives will spread your peace.

PSALMS
For psalms in contemporary language, https://tinyurl.com/y9tjh7rk

Psalm 119:1-32 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9wwyccr)

1  Blessed are those that are undefiled in the way *
and walk in the law of the Lord.
2  Blessed are they that keep his testimonies *
and seek him with their whole heart.
3  For they who do no wickedness *
walk in his ways.
4  Thou hast charged *
that we shall diligently keep thy commandments.
5  O that my ways were made so direct *
that I might keep thy statutes!
6  So shall I not be confounded *
while I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7  I will thank thee with an unfeigned heart *
when I shall have learned the judgements of thy righteousness.
8  I will keep thy ceremonies *
O forsake me not utterly.
9  Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way *
even by ruling himself after thy word.
10  With my whole heart have I sought thee *
O let me not go wrong out of thy commandments.
11  Thy words have I hid within my heart *
that I should not sin against thee.
12  Blessed art thou, O Lord *
O teach me thy statutes.
13  With my lips have I been telling *
of all the judgements of thy mouth.
14  I have had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies *
as in all manner of riches.
15  I will talk of thy commandments *
and have respect unto thy ways.
16  My delight shall be in thy statutes *
and I will not forget thy word.
17  O do well unto thy servant *
that I may live, and keep thy word.
18  Open thou mine eyes *
that I may see the wondrous things of thy law.
19  I am a stranger upon earth *
O hide not thy commandments from me.
20  My soul breaketh out for the very fervent desire *
that it hath alway unto thy judgements.
21  Thou hast rebuked the proud *
and cursed are they that do err from thy commandments.
22  O turn from me shame and rebuke *
for I have kept thy testimonies.
23  Princes also did sit and speak against me *
but thy servant is occupied in thy statutes.
24  For thy testimonies are my delight *
and my counsellors.
25  My soul cleaveth to the dust *
O quicken thou me, according to thy word.
26  I have acknowledged my ways, and thou heardest me *
O teach me thy statutes.
27  Make me to understand the way of thy commandments *
and so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
28  My soul melteth away for very heaviness *
comfort thou me according unto thy word.
29  Take from me the way of lying *
and cause thou me to make much of thy law.
30  I have chosen the way of truth *
and thy judgements have I laid before me.
31  I have stuck unto thy testimonies *
O Lord, confound me not.
32  I will run the way of thy commandments *
when thou hast set my heart at liberty.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.

PRAYER

Holy God,
you are just in all your ways
and your commandments are the greatest of treasures.
Give us understanding of your law
and direct us according to your will
that we may be faithful in serving you
for the sake of Jesus our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.

You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.

You shall not defraud your neighbour; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a labourer until morning. You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbour: I am the Lord.

You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.

HYMN: Jane Manton Marshall ©
Tune: Rhosymedre https://tinyurl.com/yame852f

1 You call us, Lord, to be
a people set apart,
to feel with thoughtful mind
and think with tender heart.

Refrain:
Thus chosen, now, O Lord,
we ask for faith in your unfailing grace
to make us equal to the task.

2 You call us, Lord, to care
for self and neighbor too,
to take the risk, and dare
to show what love can do. [Refrain]

3 You call us, Lord, to be
good stewards of the earth;
to tend it as a place
of blessedness and worth. [Refrain]

4 You call us, Lord, to serve:
to die that we may live,
to know we best receive
when joyfully we give. [Refrain]

Reading: Hebrews 4:1-11

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
‘As in my anger I swore,
“They shall not enter my rest” ’,
though his works were finished at the foundation of the world. For in one place it speaks about the seventh day as follows: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’ And again in this place it says, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he sets a certain day—‘today’—saying through David much later, in the words already quoted,
‘Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.’
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labours as God did from his. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.

HYMN: Isaac Watts
Tune: St Stephen https://tinyurl.com/199dm6u8

1 With joy we meditate the grace
of our High Priest above;
his heart is made of tenderness,
and ever yearns with love.

2 Touched with a sympathy within,
he knows our feeble frame;
he knows what sore temptations mean,
for he has felt the same.

3 But spotless, innocent, and pure
the great Redeemer stood,
while Satan’s fiery darts he bore,
and did resist to blood.

4 He, in the days of feeble flesh
poured out his cries and tears;
and in his measure feels afresh
what every member bears.

5 He’ll never quench the smoking flax,
but raise it to a flame;
the bruisèd reed he never breaks,
nor scorns the meanest name.

6 Then let our humble faith address
his mercy and his power:
we shall obtain delivering grace
in each distressing hour.

Reading: Matthew 18:15-22

Jesus said, ‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’

Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.’

CANTICLE Isaiah 12:2-6
(Uptown Worship Band: https://tinyurl.com/y8q877og)

Refrain:
Surely, it is God who saves;
I will and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my sure defense,
and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water
and rejoice from the salvation spring.
On that day you shall say,
give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name. Refrain

Make his deeds known among the people;
they remember his Name on high.
Sing praise to the Lord, for he has done great things,
and this is known in all the world. Refrain

Cry aloud, O Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

LITANY OF CONFESSION ^CW:TS

We pray to the Lord for courage to give up other things
and to give ourselves to him this Lent.

Give your Church the courage
to give up her preoccupation with herself
and to give more time to your mission in the world.